“I have no words,” Bjornsson wrote on Instagram. “What an amazing day, one I will remember for the rest of my life. I said I was coming for it and once I set my mind on something I’m a dog with a bone. Want to give a huge shoutout to my family, friends, coaches, fans, sponsors and haters, all of whom helped this lift be possible.”

“I’m extremely proud, you know. I’m extremely happy,” Bjornsson said on his YouTube channel after breaking the record. “It’s great – there’s nothing better than proving people wrong. So many people didn’t believe in me, so many people that said, ‘501kg is never going to go up’… But I also had a lot of support. I feel healthy, I feel god. I’m just absolutely speechless, even though I’m talking a lot now. But I’m excited, super excited – this is huge for me”